


The Karate Kid(s)

by kyliEisMC2



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cobra Kai/Karate Kid, Friendship, One Shot, Team 7 - Freeform, slight sasusaku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28140162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyliEisMC2/pseuds/kyliEisMC2
Summary: Kakashi Hatake is a mess. Life dealt him a tough hand and with nothing left but his fathers old dojo, he finds himself just barely hanging on. Until one fateful day, a persistent kid wont give up and he finds himself with a student. Then gains another one as a favor for a friend. The third one just walked in. Team 7 ModernAU
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	The Karate Kid(s)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a random Naruto AU that was inspired when watching Cobra Kai in preparation for the upcoming season. So if anything sounds familiar it probably is because I took some conversations and situations from it. It's a little homage to Kakashi and Team 7 that will hopefully give you some warm fuzzies.

White Fang Dojo was once a distinguished and acclaimed academy of the martial arts. Founded and run by the great sensei master, Sakumo Hatake himself. For two decades, young and eager youths of Konoha flocked and begged their parents to allow them to train there. And as students they learned more than just combative and self-defense techniques. When they perfected punches, they gained physical prowess and learned how to properly release their emotions. When they strengthened their kicks, they also learned to balance their minds. When they learned to restrain their opponent, they gained control over the chaos in their lives. When they drove their punch forward, they learned how to drive themselves towards life success.

Many said it was an institute that would last forever, that the lessons and skills would become a generational trait. But when Sakumo's untimely death shadowed the Hatake family tree, so did it also darken the doors of the Dojo. His son, Kakashi Hatake, had inherited the legacy. But as he had wanted nothing to do with the painful reminder of his father, he abandoned any obligation to the establishment. Neglected and forgotten, it became a dismal and dusty piece of real estate that sat in the now run down part of the city.

For several years it remained unopened and unused. But after failing to prevent an assasination of a high politician when working with an elite secret service, Kakashi found himself discharged from duty, due to mental trauma following the event. He went into a downward spiral of depression and drinking, pushing away his friends and lashing out. When he found himself being evicted due to disruption and failure to pay rent, he found himself unlocking the doors of his father's Dojo for the first time in twenty years...

* * *

Kakashi was slowly strolling down the road with his nose in a book and a plastic bag of convenience store food in his free hand. Finishing his page, he checked his watch to see it read 10:46 AM.

_Perfect_ , he thought to himself. His romance drama started in less than fifteen minutes. Being only ten minutes away from the dojo, he would be back to his temporary home before the opening intro. He just hoped the yoga class he sublet the dojo out to would be cleared out by the time he got back.

A few months ago he had gone back to unlock the door of a place he never thought he would step foot into again. He had only planned to sleep on the cot that had always been kept in the back room for a few days until he found another place and a new job. But days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, now he was subletting the dojo to subsidize his lack of income. It was troublesome and bothersome to leave but he would rather be inconvenienced than endure listening to the cheesy zen music the instructor played along with the nonsense prattle of bored homemakers and the rising generations of wanna be influencers. He was a believer in yoga and meditation, but what that instructor taught was _not_ it. It was more of a how to get the perfect camera angle than proper posture given the fact that the majority of attendees were too busy thinking of the right caption rather than clearing their minds.

With that thought he slowed his pace and decided to take a detour to give the class some extra time to clear out before getting back. As long as he was back in time to catch the next episode of the day time series adaptation of his favorite Icha Icha book, he would be fine. Raising said book, backup to his face, he took a turn into the next street to make an extra lap around the block.

He only made it halfway around the block when a noise coming from the narrow alley caused him to pause and peek over his reading. It was a ruckus of older teens shouting and egging each other on. Their shouts were drowned out by a loud clang that echoed against the brick walls as something was shoved against the dumpster.

"That all you got?" Came a voice, full of spunk but lined with pain. "Because it's going to take a lot more than that to keep me down. Believe it!" The courageous words were followed by the distinct sound of a winded punch.

Kakashi took a step into the alley, walking deep enough to see around the corner of the large trash bin to see what all the commotion was. An older looking teenage boy, with two other cronies standing on either side to flank him, stood with an haughty expression and raised fists. In the corner created by the trash and alley wall, was a smaller blonde haired boy who was curled up and holding his side. The leader of the bullies, leaned down and grabbed onto the front of the lone boys shirt.

"You think you're so much better than us don'tcha! But you're not! You're nothing, you don't even have parents," he said, raising his other fisted hand back. "You're just a dead last loser!"

Kakashi let out one, long sigh. Of all the alleyways he had to detour around, it had to be this one. _Why did kids have to be such punky ass pricks?_ Gaining up on numbers of three to one could be hardly considered a fair fight. Especially when the singled out boy was obviously a year or two younger. Tucking his book away into the safety of his puffy vest pocket and slinging his grocery bag over his shoulder, he walked up to do what he hated most. Intervene.

* * *

Naruto shut his eyes, preparing himself for the impact of the punch. It was just another day in the life of Naruto Uzimaki, punching bag and prime target for all the bullies for anyone his age and three years up. However, the impact of the expected punch never came. Instead the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat filled the small space of the alley.

Naruto cracked his bright blue eyes open to see what would put a pause to his beating. His tormentor was still holding on to the front of his shirt with his hand reeled back for ultimate impact, but his head was swiveled around and focused on someone else. Naruto followed his gaze. Looking past the cronies, his eyes set on a sketchy looking man who looked too young to already have a head full of silver hair, with a jagged scar across one eye, and a mask covering the lower half of his face.

"Three versus one, can't hardly say that's a fair fight," the man commented.

The leader of the group turned around as his cronies parted. "Beat it old man, this doesn't concern you." The boy declared, waving him off. "Why don't you turn around and run off to your sand pathetic life." Behind him, his friends laughed like a couple of neanderthals, giving the boy enough encouragement to think he truly accomplished something before turning back around to focus back on the pounding he had still yet to deliver.

Naruto watched as the stranger took on a look of exasperation, casting his eyes up to the sky as if praying to the heavens to give him strength. However his attention was drawn away from the stranger when his tormentor's grabbed at his shirt as his other hand drew back and began to advance right towards his face. Again his eyes skewed shut as he prepared for the impact that would more or less leave him with another black eye for the next month. But again, the punch never came. Instead the boy's hand released the front of his shirt as he let out a surprised exclamation.

Naruto opened his eyes just in time to see his bully being pulled away by the scruff of his shirt and shoved forward into a pile of garbage bags.

"What the hell, old man!" The boy screamed, covered in garbage and food scraps from the restaurant that they were behind. He looked to his cronies. "Don't just stand there! Get him!"

There was a moment of hesitation before the two boys charged the silver haired man. With ease he stepped to the side just as the closet boy lunged towards him. The boy soared through the air past him and came down onto the hard asphalt, tumbling and rolling into a heap. The second moved in with flailing fists which the man easily dodged before pulling his hand from his pocket to block with a forearm before hitting the kid directly into the chest with an open palm. The leader, who had managed to crawl out of the garbage, rushed his turned back, but before the boy could even get close enough, the masked man's leg lifted and struck him in the solar plexus with a back kick.

Naruto watched in awe as the man took out the boys with an air of ease, all the while still holding a convenience store plastic bag and not even dropping a single item. Before long after a couple more fruitless attempts to overtake their larger opponent, the three bullies were showing their backs to them as they ran out of the alley way. The leader, spouting out nonsense about his father hearing of the incident as he pushed the other two boys out of his way to flee.

As soon as Naruto managed to pull his amazed eyes from their retreating backs, he moved his attention to the man, only to find him halfway down the alley in the opposite direction, his plastic bag slung over his shoulder as he walked away with his nose stuck in a book. Before the man was out of his sight, Naruto was to his feet and pursuing after, eagerly shouting out to him to wait up.

* * *

Kakashi may have had some questionable morals, but he didn't take pride in beating up teenagers. However, bullying was just a tad lower on his values and therefore he had gotten himself involved. Now, he was regretting it.

"That was so cool!" the blonde boy gushed for the hundredth time as he trailed behind Kakashi's long gait. "That kick! And the way they just ran! You have got to teach me!"

Kakashi increased the length of his stride, his nose shoved into his book as he tried to ignore the boy's constant idolization and praise. He reminded him of his good friend Obito back when they were young. Aside from near opposite complexions and hair color, they were the same, right down to the questionable fashion sense. In fact it had been a similar situation that brought them together. Obito had been a victim and Kakashi had stepped in. At the time Kakashi had no personal interest in saving his future friend, he just didn't like bullies. However, after Kakashi had beaten up the bullies, the goggled Obito had followed him around from that day forward.

"How long have you known how to fight like that? Do you think I could be at your level by the start of the school year? I am Naruto by the way, what's your name mister?"

Kakashi finally arrived at the Dojo. Pulling out a key as the boy continued to rapidly fire out questions faster than he could answer-that is if he was going to answer-Kakashi unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"How long doー"

He cut off the boys insistent questioning when he slammed the door in his face and locked it. Not even bothering to look back, he moved to the back room to put the food from the convenience store into the microwave as he switched on the television, cursing as he realized he missed the first five minutes of the episode.

* * *

Kakashi was three chapters deep into rereading the special edition of a particular favorite book when the tinkling of a bell chiming at the front of the building echoed down to the backroom. Kakashi paused for a moment and cursed as he heard someone entering the building. It seemed the woman who taught the morning yoga class failed to lock the door at the end of the session.

Not wanting to get up, Kakashi took in a deep breath. "We are closed!" he yelled down the hall.

There was no response but the shuffling of someone walking around up front told him they had not left. Letting out a sigh, he dog eared his book and stood up.

"We are closed," he repeated, walking down the hallway towards the front. "If you're here about leasing the building-"

He cut himself off when he saw a short teen with blonde hair standing in the middle of the dojo. It took him a moment, as the bright orange jumpsuit distracted him, but once the boy turned around and looked at him with his bright blue eyes, Kakashi recognized him as the boy from the alleyway.

"Hey mister!" The boy greeted with far too much enthusiasm for an early Saturday morning. "I am here for the Karate lessons."

Kakashi stared at him for a long while, taking in his sunny disposition and his face. There was something familiar about him and it was not because of the day before. However, being one of having a strong opinion of staying unopinionated and out of other people's business, Kakashi pushed it aside. "We are closed."

"But the sign says Saturdays 8am-5pm," the boy replied, pointing to the dingy hours sign that was posted on the door front.

Kakashi cursed, he had been meaning to take that down since arriving here and having people constantly showing up at business hours. "Not today... nor any day," he added. "We are closed permanently." He moved towards the boy and started shooing him out of the building. "Now beat it."

He managed to usher the blonde boy to the entry way before the kid spread his arms and braced himself on either side of the door.

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, he twisted around, keeping his hands grasped onto the walls of either side of the entryway. "I-I just wanted to say thank you, you know, for yesterday."

"Yeah well, you did that," Kakashi replied, moving to shove the kid farther down the hall, only for the boy to dig his heels into the tile flooring, his sneakers letting out an awful squeaking as he slowly slid against Kakashi's prodding.

"Wait!" he protested. "Do you think you could teach me!?" he blurted out.

Kakashi paused. "What?...No," he answered before moving to continue pushing the boy the rest of the boy out the door.

He had him half way out before the boy's hand managed to shoot out and gasp desperately at the doorway. "What!? Come on! When school starts those guys are going to make my life miserable."

"Seems like they already are," Kakashi muttered, trying to pry the boy's fingers from the door, only to have him brace his legs against the door jam when he managed to loosen two of his fingers. "Besides, it's not my problem."

"But if I just knew a little bit of what you did-"

Kakashi managed to pry the kid's hands from the doorway while simultaneously unhooking his feet, managing to finally get the kid out onto the small patio in front of the building. By the time he managed it, he was panting slightly. Kakashi wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He could take on three teens with hardly lifting a finger yet, he could barely manage to wrestle this kid, who was half his size, out of his front door. He had to give it to the boy, he at least had willpower, however…

"Forget it, I don't do Karate anymore," he said, his voice raising slightly in annoyance. "Besides, I need to find a job, I have my own problems."

"Well you could run your own karate school!" The kid exclaimed helpfully.

"It's called a dojo," Kakashi corrected dryly.

"Fine, a karate dojo," the boy edited.

"Look kid…" Kakashi narrowed his eyes and suddenly, he was hit again with a bout of familiarity. There was just something about that determined look and the bright blue eyes full of optimism. "What was your name again?"

"Naruto!" he said proudly. "Naruto Uzimaki-Namikaze!"

"Are you by chance Minato Namikaze's kid?" Kakashi questioned, an uneasy tension coming to his mind.

Naruto's eyes brightened. "Yeah! You knew him! I am going to be just like him! Gonna be the Prime Minister someday! Believe it! I am going to make him proud. Those kids say that I am dead last but I will show them..."

As he listened to Naruto talking away about his dreams and aspirations, there was within the older man that shifted. Be it from the guilt he still harbored for the death of Minato, or the fact that trying to convince this kid to give up was an impossible feat, Kakashi found himself letting out a sigh for what he was about to do.

"Okay," Kakashi suddenly said, causing Naruto's rant of ambitions to cease.

For a moment the blonde stared at him as if still processing what he had just heard, then his eyes began to widen and alight. "You're going to be my Karate teacher!" he said, slightly in disbelief.

"No," Kakashi quickly interjected before pausing for dramatic effect, "I'm gonna be your sensei."

Naruto jumped up in triumph. "Yes!' he celebrated. As he settled and looked up to Kakashi, who was giving him raised brow, he sobered up.

"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi said seriously. "Because once you go down this path, there is no going back. The only way out is if I say so, not quitting."

Naruto nodded.

"Alright, but I am not just going to teach you karate. It's not going to be that pansy assed cheap fighting like those bullies of yours. I'm gonna teach you the style of karate that was taught to me, a method of fighting that comes from a long line of tradition and honor. I'm not just gonna teach you how to conquer your fears. I'm gonna teach you how to awaken the wolf within you. The one that looks after not only itself but the pack as well. And once you do that, you'll be one who's not feared but respected. You'll build strength. You'll learn discipline. And when the time is right, you'll bite back. But you do as I say." Naruto vigorously nodded his head. "And I don't want to hear any complaining." Naruto continued to nod.

Kakashi waved him back inside. Without a word Kakashi walked him back to the middle of the dojo floor before turning back to him. He let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his silver hair, looking around at the room. It was a dismal and sad excuse for an establishment. Boxes of junk and broken equipment lined the walls, some of them stacked while others were upturned and spilling out their contents. The majority of the lights were burnt out except for two fluorescent lights at the end of the room, one of which was flickering on and off. And the windows letting in the daylight hardly helped as a thick layer of dirt blocked and filtered out the majority of the natural light that would otherwise light up the entire room at this time of day. Wires hung down from the ceiling and outlets that he was confident was one spark away from a building fire.

He let out a sigh and looked at Naruto. "How are you with electrics?"

Naruto gave him a confused look. "Huh?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Never mind." He pointed to an upturned box of cleaning supplies. "Grab that spray bottle and start cleaning the mats."

As Kakashi began to walk to the back room, Naruto went over the pile and grabbed a cleaning rag and spray bottle that was among the dusty disinfectants.

"Make sure you get both sides."

Naruto held up a spray bottle and rag, looking at them with slight disappointment. "What does any of this have to do with karate, sensei?" Naruto questioned as he started wiping down the mats.

"Do not question my methods," Kakashi reprimanded, standing over him with his book open.

"So who was your sensei? Why did you stop karate?"

Kakashi looked at him from over his book. "This isn't twenty questions, get back to work," he instructed, turning to return to the back room. "When you're finished with that you can wash the windows. It's gonna be a lot of work, so get to it."

"Hey sensei," Naruto called after him. "Is there a particular way you want me to wash the windows?"

Kakashi paused again. "No, I don't care. Just do it."

"And then is that when you will teach me how to fight?"

From behind his mask, Kakashi grinned, her dark grey eyes crinkling with mirth. "Yeah, sure kid."

Naruto slightly frowned, for some reason, his new sensei's tone was not very reassuring. But he brushed it aside and set about his work, eager to get done quickly so that he could get to the real learning. However, by the day's end, he had not learned a single punch or kick. Frustrated and discouraged he went home, optimistic that his real lessons would begin promptly at 8 am the next day, but he would soon come to learn a different lesson...his sensei was not punctual.

* * *

"So when were you going to tell me you opened the Dojo back up?"

Kakshi paused with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth as he stared across the table to his good friend. "Never, because I didn't," Kakashi corrected.

"But you are taking on students? Right?" Obito pressed. "Minito's kid...what was his name?"

"Naruto," Kakashi supplied, giving his friend a wary look.

Obito snapped his fingers. "Yeah that's right, you're teaching him karate, right?

"Yes..." he slowly confirmed, his face beginning to look suspicious. "But-"

"Great!" Obito quickly interrupted before Kakashi could say anymore. "So listen, I was just visiting one of my cousins, you're familiar with Itachi right? He was one of the younger recruits before you left the force."

Kakashi was momentarily distracted from Obito's sudden knowledge of his recent activities as tried to recall who Obito was speaking of. "Yes," he said with a nod, a vague image of a tall, lean young man with long dark hair and looking more stressed than Kakashi ever felt.

"Perfect, well I was talking with him the other day, and it seems he is having some problems with his younger brother. Their parents died in a car accident a few years back when Itachi was in his final year of school. For a while they lived with family but as soon as Itachi was old enough, he gained custody of his younger brother and moved them out to live on their own. Itachi has really taken the responsibility as best as he could, works hard to make the best of their situation, ya know."

Kakashi nodded. The more Obito talked, the more he remembered about Itachi. "He always seemed mature when compared to most recruits. Highly intelligent and diligent in his work," Kakashi commented.

Obito nodded his agreement. "Yeah well, his brother is a little shit," Obito went on. "Keeps acting out at school, getting into fights, skipping classes. And he is not any better at home. Itachi constantly catches him sneaking out in the middle of the night and he never listens to anything Itachi tells him to do."

"Sounds like a pain, how old is he?"

Obito thought for a moment. "Fourteen...no, fifteen. Yeah I think he is fifteen, just started high school."

Kakashi nodded. _Same age as Naruto_ , he thought to himself. Perhaps he would ask the blonde teen if he knew him during their next lesson.

"Anyways, Sasuke just needs some discipline but he has a huge brother complex with Itachi. The kid blames him for their parents death and won't hardly listen to him. So I was thinking maybe _you_ could help."

"..." Kakashi was at a loss as to what to say. "What makes you think I would possibly be of any help? If you haven't noticed, I don't have kids, nor am I exactly what you would call a role model."

"Well sure, but I was thinking you could take him on as a student, you know like you did Naruto."

"No," Kakashi automatically answered. "I'm not a mentor and one student is enough."

"Aw come on, what's one more?" Obito questioned. "The kid already has had some training, in fact he was getting pretty good but quit after his parents died. So you don't even have to do much. I promise, it won't be a bother!"

"You said yourself he was a little shit," Kakashi replied dryly. "I have enough to deal with Naruto's short attention span."

"But-"

"No," Kakashi said firmly.

Obito opened his mouth again to continue to advocate the cause but was kept from doing so when someone leaving the restaurant walked by their table.

"Hatake?"

The silver haired man looked up from his food and his eyes widened. Standing before him was a lean man dressed in a horrific green suit with a bowl cut and the eyebrows that could be seen by a satellite in space. Kakashi stared at the man with disbelief. Might Gai, his long time rival for as long as he had been doing karate when he was a kid. They were part of rival dojo and always faced each other at the championships, taking turns in claiming the title each year.

"Kakashi Hatake, it is you!" Gai said with far too much enthusiasm.

Next to him was a teenager who looked horrifically similar, right down to the bright orange leg warmers that went over his green jumpsuit. _Good gods, did he procreate,_ Kakashi thought _._

"I started my own dojo and we have been the reigning champions for the past ten years. This is Rock Lee, one of my most youthful students. It's been years! Haven't seen you since I beat you at our last tournament. Always wondered what happened."

"Hmm," Kakashi hummed, not really offering an explanation. His father had died later that year and he had given up the art, never to return. Leaving Gai their rivalry in a tie.

"You know, Kakashi has taken on his own student," Obito blurted out, trying to fill the awkwardness that had taken over and causing Kakashi to send him a glare.

"Really?" Gai exclaimed, causing Kakashi to look at him.

"Just teaching him some moves."

"Some moves, eh? So he won't be entering any competitions or anything?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Just some skills to help defend himself from some bullies."

"Well that's great, I guess. You know if he is looking to join an actual dojo, my doors are always open. Maybe you could stop by and we can show him how a real karate spar should look like."

Kakashi slightly frowned. "And what makes you think he wouldn't know what a sparring should look like."

Gai shrugged. "It's not a big deal or anything. I don't blame you, wouldn't want him to be at a disadvantage at the competitions anyways."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think he would be at a disadvantage?"

"Well, I mean...you don't really seem to be taking it seriously. I mean, you don't even have a functioning dojo. And you have been out of the karate scene for a while. You're probably rusty yourself."

Kakashi rose, crossing his arms at the challenge in Gai's voice. "Is that a challenge? Because I know a way we can settle this, outside."

Gai's eyes sparkled with the heat of a rising competition. "Now, now," he said in a calming tone. "What kind of karate are you teaching?" he asked. "Sounds more like bullish street fighting...but we could settle this one way...maybe finally settle the score of our rivaled tie? We are both great fighters...but which of us is the better sensei."

"What are you proposing?"

Gai smiled. "I would say the Land of Fire competition next year, but since my team are reigning champions and since your kid is a novice, he wouldn't even be matched unless he made it to the championship."

"Oh, we will be there," Kakashi replied without hesitation.

Gai gave him a thumbs up and a wink. "Excellent! I look forward to seeing who the best sensei is!" he proclaimed confidently before leaving with his student.

Kakashi watched as the green beast pushed open the door and exited the restaurant with his mini version following after. Immediately he turned back to Obito.

"Lessons are 4pm Monday through Friday and 8am Saturday and Sundays," Kakashi said, quickly. "Make sure that little punk cousin of yours is there and you write a check."

"You mean you will take him on? Teach him?"

"Of course, it's like you said, the boy needs discipline and I need students," Kakashi responded, taking the offered bill that the waitress handed to him as she walked by. Kakashi glanced at it then set it on the table. "Thanks for lunch, next time is my treat."

He gave Obito a crinkle eyed wave before slipping away from the table and out the door, ignoring the protest from his friend that he said that last time they ate out.

* * *

Kakashi stood in the middle of the practice mat with his arms crossed and legs set in a wide stance. It was silent in the room as he stared at his now two students standing at the edge of the mat. One boy dressed in an orange gi and standing with what could pass as a respectful stance with his hands at his sides. The only flaw was the lack of eye contact as the blonde boy's head was turned away as he stared suspiciously at the dark haired boy next to him.

Kakashi's attention shifted from Naruto, to his newest pupil, Sasuke.

He was the spitting image of what an Uchiha was, dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark scowl to go with it all. He stood in a casual manner without any regard to proper posture as he stuck his hands into his pockets of shorts, having apparently opted out of proper attire as he wore a high collared shirt and baggy shorts instead. Obsidian eyes roamed around the half restored dojo with a critical eye and distasteful look on his face, obviously unimpressed with the state of it all.

"Would you stop gawking at me," Sasuke snapped, turning his head to glare at Naruto.

Naruto crossed his arms and glared at him. "I know you," Naruto said. "You go to my school. You're Sasuke Uchiha, you're the bastard that got me in trouble for pulling the fire alarm last year, when you were the one who did it."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah? And you're the dead last loser of our entire grade."

Naruto uncrossed his arms as he raised a fist to Sasuke's face. "You take that back, bastard!"

"Get out of my face!" Sasuke retaliated, shoving Naruto to the ground. "Tch, baka," he muttered under his breath.

"What did you call me!" Naruto yelled, jumping back up to his feet and jumping into a fighting stance. "I will kick your ass! You don't deserve to even be here!"

"Tch, like I chose to come to this dump," Sasuke scoffed, causing Naruto to growl in offense, given the fact that he had done most of the work to even get the building to look this acceptable.

"Why I oughtaー"

"Enough!" Kakashi cut in, causing both of the boys to look at him. He gave them each a stern look. "There will not be any ass kicking from either of you. You are a team now, that means you will respect each other and learn to have each others backsー"

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed rudely as he rolled his eyes.

Kakashi frowned at him. "Do you have something to say, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at him with his arms folded across his chest. "I don't need some useless moron to protect myself," he said with an air of detest, side eyeing Naruto, before focusing back on Kakashi. "Nor do I need _you_. I have been learning karate since I was six, I hardly doubt you could even teach me anything old-man."

There were far and few things that truly got to Kakashi Hatake. However, being disrespectful to a team member, no matter how high or low that person was, triggered him.

"So you think I have nothing to teach you do you?" Kakashi challenged.

Sasuke had a moment of hesitation before seemingly not willing to back down as he gave a nod.

"Alright then," Kakashi said, his tone suddenly becoming dangerous. "How about this, why don't we have ourselves a little spar. You beat me, and you won't have to come back here ever again and if anyone asks, you were always here all along." Sasuke's eye seemed to brighten with intrigue at that thought. "But, if you lose, you are here everyday after school and every weekend, following every instruction and rule I give you."

Sasuke seemed to hesitate again as he pondered this last outcome. Kakashi could see it in his eyes, debating back and forth.

"Fine," Sasuke finally agreed. "Not like I have anything to lose. You will be down in five minutes."

Kakashi wanted to roll his eyes at the dark haired boy's arrogance. However, instead he gave out a tired sigh and gestured for Sasuke to take his place on the mat. Squaring off, they each bowed and Sasuke took a stance.

"Naruto, if you would please start us."

.

.

.

The moment Naruto had yelled out for them to commence, Sasuke moved forward with what Kakashi had to praise as a formidable form. Kakashi had to admit, Obito had been right, he was good...for his age. Kakashi allowed Sasuke to strike and kick as he blocked each attack. However, thirty seconds later, Kakashi had him pinned down to the ground as Sasuke wriggled around viciously as he cursed and grunted in an attempt to get free.

"You have talent," Kakashi said as he held a struggling Sasuke to the ground, "but you lack the discipline to control it, which holds you back," Kakashi finished as he stood, looking down at Sasuke who still sat on the floor, glaring up at Kakashi. "I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it, which is actually not the same as getting it. You get it?"

Sasuke gave him a confused look then looked at Naruto who looked just as clueless. Sasuke stood up. "What ever," Sasuke grumbled. "I'm out of here. I have better things to do."

Kakashi shrugged, not looking surprised by his outburst. "Just as well…Obito mentioned Itachi didn't really want you to do this...something about not wanting you to set yourself up for failure and not being able to reach his level."

It was a complete and utterly bullshit lie...but it had Sasuke come to a halting stop. Kakashi's smirk was hidden behind his mask as the dark haired boy gave him one last glance then stomped out of the dojo. _He would be back,_ Kakashi thought to himself, _nothing like a little reverse psychology._

And the next day, he was. Standing next to Naruto at the edge of the mat in a pressed blue gi with a red and white uchiwa fan hand stitched on the back, Sasuke's face was masked with determination. Kakashi smiled to himself, and that was how he got his second student.

* * *

"Ouch! Sensei he bit me!"

"Get your grubby hand out of my mouth! Even the gods don't want to know where you have been!

Kakashi let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose, debating on if he should even bother breaking them up or going to the back room and watching an episode of the re-run of last season's Icha Icah paradise. How they managed to get in an argument this time he didn't know. They were supposed to be working on their kata individually on separate sides of the mat, yet somehow converged into a grappling fight at the center. It was something about Naruto breathing too loudly out of his mouth and Sasuke's arrogance taking up too much space...to be honest, Kakashi could not make out much of what they had been yelling because they had both been yelling boisterous over each other at the same time.

In fact they were so loud, he didn't even hear the front door being opened, nor the tinkling bell that announced someone entering as it was drowned out by Naruto's whining and Sasuke's grunting.

"Excuse me," came a hesitant feminine voice. "Is this White Fang Dojo?"

Kakashi did not even bother looking in the direction of the entrance as he continued to watch Naruto and Sasuke rolling around like a pair of monkeys fighting over a banana, neither of them winning.

"The hot yoga class switched to the morning, you will have to come back tomorrow at ten," he called out.

"I'm not here for yoga," the person replied and this time Kakashi noted the youthfulness in the voice.

Naruto and Sasuke paused at the sound, both of them looking up before scrambling apart and standing. Both of them stared at the entrance with their own unique expressions. Naruto was practically gapping with his mouth hanging open while Sasuke's eyes narrowed into a suspicious expression. Curious as to what would cause the two from abandoning their tussle so easily, Kakashi turned around and stared. There was nothing else he could do as he took in and absorbed just what exactly he was seeing.

A short girl was standing on the welcome mat, her bright green eyes moving from one person to another as she uneasily shifted on her feet, obviously nervous about the sudden full attention. However what had him mostly thrown off was the bright pink head of hair she had.

Kakashi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the cotton candy haired girl. "Uh...the ballet class only meets every other tuesday," he finally said when he recovered.

The girl walked forward until her toes were at the edge of the training mat. "I'm not here for ballet either," she said, a tone developing in her voice. "I'm actually here for karate," he eyes flashed to the two boys briefly before moving back to Kakashi. "I saw on the website that there was a session today?"

Kakashi's groan was muffled by his mask. He had been hesitant when Sasuke and Naruto set the website up, but he was in need of more students and they had told him he needed to 'get with the time'. However this was not the type of student he was hoping to get. He needed more height and less...pink.

"I appreciate you coming in but there are no girls in White Fang," he said, turning around to resume his meager class of students, now that they had finally stopped wrestling.

"What?" her tone was full of indignation and irritation. "Why?"

"Same reason there are no women in the army," he replied, turning his head to look at her. "It just makes sense."

"Sensai you can't say stuff like that!" Naruto said in horror. "It's sexist. There are plenty of strong and capable women in the army."

Kakashi shook his head. "Women just aren't meant to fight. They have tiny hollow bones," Kakashi defended, looking back at Naruto's wide eyed face and causing Sasuke to give him an odd look as he tried to process what his sensei had just stated.

"Excuse me!?"

Kakashi turned back around to the girl to see her quickly kick off her shoes and begin marching over towards him. _At least she knew how to respect a mat, unlike his other students_.

"Seriously? What is this the eighteenth century Edo period? And besides," she pointed towards his two other students. "You don't seem to be in a position to be picky with who you let in."

Kakashi looked back as his pathetic excuse for a dojo roster. She was right, and why he ever got into this mess where he actually cared about such things, annoyed him. He let out a long sigh and looked back to the girl.

"Fine," he conceded. "Under further review I have decided to allow female students. But if you want to be in White Fang you can't act like a girl."

He heard a groan come from behind him and watched as the girl's face wrinkled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, all emotional, loud complaining, never letting you finish a sentence..."

"So pretty much everything I just witnessed when I first walked in?" she said, folding her arms confidently and looking judgmentally unamused at Naruto and Sasuke, who quickly went about straightening their uniforms as they glared at each other accusingly. Both of their faces tinging red under their peers scrutiny.

Kakashi was about to refute that claim but...she had a point. "Alright, you have a point. So if you're determined to say you are equal to your peers...lets see what you've got. If you impress me, you can join."

As it turned out Sakura was more than competent. She didn't exactly have the best of form, it was more like kickboxing, but gods did she pack a punch. He had put her up against Naruto first and she delivered a solid punch to the head that left the room spinning for the blonde boy. Then he put her up against Sasuke. She had struggled slightly against him as he had learned from Naruto to not go too easy, though it seemed Sasuke was still holding back as she landed a solid kick to Sasuke chest that left him winded. And to finish it off, Kakashi had her break through two boards just because he was curious, and she did not disappoint.

"Congratulations," Kakashi said, slightly surprised himself by how easy it was to announce, regardless of his earlier opinions and discouragements. "Welcome to the team…"

"Sakura! Sakura Haruno," the pinkette supplied, her face breaking out into a beaming smile that had Kakashi convinced he would have allowed her to join just by that merit had she shown the heart warming smile earlier.

Kakashi pointed to the pair of boys who were hanging back still nursing their bruises. "This is Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzimaki, your teammates."

He watched as Sakura turned to them, giving them a small bow before raising her head and flashing them the same warm smile that had just charmed Kakashi. Immediately Naruto was rushing up to her with an eager beguilement on his face.

"Welcome to the team!" he said excitedly. "What school do you go to?"

"K-konoha Hidden Leaf High," she answered, slightly taken aback by Naruto's energy. "I just moved here."

"Really? I go there too!" he turned to Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke! Sakura is going to be going to our school!"

Sasuke gave Sakura a quick look, giving her a 'hn' of acknowledgement before looking away. Some would think it rude and Kakashi noticed the slight look of disappointment in the girls face, but he also caught the red tint that was rising at the tips of the otherwise indifferent ears.

With a smile on his face, Kakashi continued to watch the three of them mingle amongst themselves, taking them in and surveying their interactions. Sasuke and Naruto were already bickering back and forth as to who got to spar with Sakura first while Sakura nervously fidgeted next to the bickering pair before suddenly lashing out and smacking them both over the head.

Kakashi let out a sigh. If he was still sane by the time he finished their training, it would be a miracle.

* * *

As it turned out, Kakashi did not go insane...at least not fully. They all had their varying weaknesses, Naruto's lack of patience, Sasuke's too hot headed ambition, and Sakura's moments of vulnerable insecurity. But where one lacked, another excelled, and as a unit, they worked together. Naruto was the driving force of optimism that they all needed, motivating his teammates and lifting them up when they were down. Sasuke was the realist who protected them from the harsh blows of life, he stood up for them in his own way and kept a watchful eye. And Sakura was the lover and the keeper of peace, she gave off warmth that made the loneliest of souls feel welcome and comforted all the while, keeping the two boys in line.

It had been nine months since they all, one way or another, became a student of his. And to each other, Kakashi would even say they were more than teammates, they were friends. They came together after school together and left together, oftentimes speaking of shared classes and plans they made together. Now, it was time for the championship.

Kakashi stood before the three of them, his arms folded as he took them all in. They were all kneeling before him in a straight line of three. He had set out to come and win this championship, but now, it didn't seem to matter as much...though he preferred they win. But win or lose, he was proud of them.

His first impression of them was that they were a bunch of idiots. And while they all needed something or other from him, be it discipline, self defense, or a place of acceptance, there was one thing that Kakashi had come to realize. He needed them as much as they needed him. They had helped him overcome his dark past and now things were looking much brighter.

After months of what some people would claim child labor-but he claimed was training-the Dojo was back to its prestigious condition. Gone were the cheesy yoga classes and ballet lessons as starting in the summer, he would have a full roster of classes. He had once been lost, the only things that kept him going was to eat, sleep, and worry about stupid things. Now, he had a purpose. And it was to make sure that the kids of today could have as many days as they could where they could be idiots, because once they grew up, and life began to treat them as adults, they would need these days to look back on and have hope that things would get better. Not that he was worried about these three. Alone perhaps, but he was confident that they had formed a bond that would last a lifetime.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this was not too much of a mess. I just have so many ideas that I want to do but just don't have the time to dedicate the time and effort to make them into a full story, so I have been trying to dabble in some one shots without getting to elaborate and making them into a whole series like the first time I tried that lol (It Began With A Kidknapping). Anyways hope you enjoyed it. As always I love to get some feedback, especially since this is a style of writing I am trying to work on an improve. Be it positive or constructive I love to know what people think! 
> 
> Take care and stay safe!


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